Bow frog with improved hair clamping means



April l5, 1952 A, P, L EslNSKY 2,592,715

BOW FROG WITH IMPROVED HAIR CLAMPING MEANS Filed April 25, 1950 Bow Hai/'s 3 Bow Ha/'rs if 6 @y S2 ifa@ NVEI'VTOR.

Patented Apr. 15, 1952 IUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BOW FROG WITH IMPROVED HAIR CLAMPING MEANS Adam P. Lesinsky, Whiting, Ind.

Application April 25, 1950, Serial No. 157,941

3 Claims. E 1

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in a frog for bows, that is, bows which are` used in connection with violins, violas, cellos, double basses and the like.

The regular or conventional frog, as is known to instrumentalists, is a one-piece body which carries a bow-stick attaching and adjusting nut. There are spaced parallel extensions on one marginal edge portion dening a thumb accommodating crotch and one extension serves as a mount for a hair embracing and strand spreading ferrule. The strands of hair are fed into and anchored in a recess or cavity provided therefor in said body. Using a slide and various expedients, the batch of so-called horsehairs is secured beneath the slide and fastened in the cavity.

Frogs possessed of the foregoing structural characteristics are notoriously old and have been in use for years and years. Despite the relentless eiorts of bow makers, inventors and others and notwithstanding many patents granted, frogs, for the most part, are still mounted on the heel end of the bow-stick by a feed-screw rotatably mounted axially in the stick and screws through a nut fastened by a stud or the like to the slidably attached frog. Much trouble, however, has been experienced with the mode of attaching the horsehairs to the frog. I am conversant with numerous patents which seek to provide a satisfactory remedy. Despite the many improvements offered in respect to this part of the frog, I believe that there is still room for improvements. Therefore, the subject matter of the instantcontri'bution has to do with refinements, structural distinctions and appreciable betterments which, collectively considered, represent an advancement in this line of endeavor and achieve the end results desired.

In carrying out the principles of the instant invention I have evolved and produced a frog which oifers several desirable special adaptations. Primarily, I contemplate the provision of simple and practical ways and means whereby the tied ends of the bow hairs may be accommodated and then tautly and rmly clamped in a spacious cavity made in the frog by a readily accessible clamping screw which projects into the cavity to securely anchor the full breadth of hairs in place.

A second improvement has to do with the groove which is provided for reception of the hairs and for accommodation of a lidding slide. The groove is novel in that one end is rounded to accommodate a correspondingly shaped end of the slide and the other end is gradually widened and merges into a substantially dovetail-shaped entrance portion for bunching and yet evenly spreading the hairs beneath the associated lidding slide.

A further novel aspect of the invention has to do with consolidating the customary type ferrule with the aforementioned slide, whereby to provide an unusually simple and economical combination slide and ferrule, an article which is easily applicable and removable and which, in conjunction with the other features, makes it quite possible for one who is not a skilled mechanic or instrument maker, to satisfactorily replace hairs on a bow frog.

A general objective is to structurally, functionally and otherwise improve upon known frog constructions by providing an assemblage in which manufacturers and users will find their expected requirements and needs fully met, contained and satisfactorily available.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a View with parts in section and parts in elevation showing the improved bow frog, its structural details and the manner in which it is mounted, in a usual fashion, on the butt end of a conventional bow-stick, the section being on the line I-l of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is an enlarged section taken on the irregular Vertical line 2 2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on the irregular line 3 3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view with the combination ferrule and slide removed.

Referring now to the drawings by reference numerals and lead lines, the bow o1 stick is conventional and is denoted by the numeral 6 and has a bore 8, a counter-bore l0 and an intervening slot or recess 2. These features accommodate the feed-screw I4, the 'body of which is in. the bore 8 and the threads l5 in the recess I2 with a reduced terminal I8 in the counter-bore or socket l0. On its outer end the rod portion is provided with a ringer-grip 23. The slot l2 serves to accommodate a nut 22 which is adjustably mounted on the threads I8 and which has a stud 24 secured in a screw-threaded hole provided therefore in the frog 26.

The improvements are in the frog only and the parts so far described are old andA well known.

The frog is preferably of solid light-weight substantially indestructible aluminum. The body portion 28 is substantially conventional in designA or configuration, that is, externally considered. On one marginal edge the body has a groove 30 to accommodate and aptly seat the bow stick, as best shown in Figure 2. On the left-hand edge the body portion is provided with outstanding substantially spaced parallel extensions 32 and 34 defining a thumb crotch 36. Extension 34 terminates in a substantially semi-cylindrical end 38 which constitutes a ferrule mount. The ferrule is denoted at 4t and is fitted removably on the mount and said ferrule is novelin that it has the usual plate-like lid 42 formed integral therewith with the tip end of the latter rounded as at 44. v

The edge portion of the frog, which may be referred vto perhaps as the bottom, is provided with an elongated groove 46 (see Figure 4) with a rounded end portion 48 to accommodate the corresponding tip 44 of the lidding slide 42. The

left-hand end of the extension 34 has abutments or shoulders -50 and is provided beyond these with a pair of opposed substantially V-shaped lugs 52-52 Awhichdei'lne between themselves a substantially dovetail-shaped entrance to said groove. Thisconstruction makes it possible to properly accommodate the usual wooden wedge (not shown) which latter serves to spread and even out the bow hairs and to compactly conne same in the groove to be covered and held in such position by the lidding slide 42.

-An important improvement has to do with the cavity 54. This is formed in the body portion of thefrog and is essentially rectangular in cross- `sectional shape as shown in the drawings. This chosen shape provides a substantially flat backing wall 56 which may be called an anvil. It is against this anvil that the tied interconnected ends 58 of the hairs are clamped. To accomplish this I provide a headless clamping or set-screw 60 which is threaded into a screw-threaded hole 62 which is at right angles to the cavity and which opens at its left-hand end into the cavity. The opposite end opens through the right-hand edge portion of the frog. The numeral 64 designates a kerf in the screw for a small screwdriver the screw is such that it is accessible but usually confined in the screw-headed hole. The inner end portion of the screw is provided with a swivelly connected substantially square rigid pressure or'clamping block B6. This is adapted to bear against a correspondingly shaped wooden or similar block 68 which I call a pad. The pad is interposed between the block 66 and the hairs 56. By slipping the ferrule 40 off of its mount 38 and uncovering the cavity the tied ends of the hairs may be spread through the groove means 46 'and turned laterally into the cavity 54. The set screw is, of course, backed out to permit this placement of the hair-ends. Then, the block or pad 68 is fitted into place and the set-screw is tightened to force the block against the hairs to thus bind the hairs securely against 'said anvil. Next, the ferrule 40 is replaced on its mount 38 and the lid 42 is slid into the slot or groove 46 to complete the job.

Any one who has had to remove and replace bow hairs and who has'encountered the painstaking requirements ordinarily met in so doing will full. well appreciate the signicance of each and every element and feature of the instant invention. It is the utmost in simplicity, is highly practical, feasible and otherwise aptly suited to accomplish the end results desired.

In carrying out the principles of the invention, as is now clearly apparent from the detailed description, I have, in general, improved upon and reduced the number of parts entering into the Ycombination and have thereby not only increased the efciency of the structure as a whole, but have rendered it reliable and less costly to`manufacture and to otherwise simplify sgnicant factors of assembling and sale.

It will be especially noted that the cavity 54 is spacious and is wholly without obstructions.

It allows the end of the bow hair to be tied with a thread, singed and covered with sealing wax vand then inserted without difficulty into the long roomy cavity. The hair lock means operating in the restricted rectangular portion of the cavity, that is the mouth portion, is of the utmost simplicity and is readily accessible.` It is reliable as compared to the current method wherein the hair pulls out quite frequently. The hair lock saves much time in-rehairing a bow because it eliminates the necessityv of tting a wooden block to t exactly the shallow cavity inV which the hair has to be placed. Becauseof the available space in the cavity thehair locking means makes for variation in the length of the hair since it will lock the latter vlat any spot tightly against the anvil. In the old method'the hair must be exactly the right length and'consequently it requires much time and patience in undertaking toA satisfactorily accomplish the tedious rehairing step. It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able tofobtain-a clear understanding of the invention vafter considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary. Minor changes in the shape, size andarrangement of details coming within the field of inventionaclaimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A frog of the type herein shown and Vdescribed comprising a body having a cavity opening through one'marginal edge, said cavity being relatively spacious and adapted for accommodation and roomy reception and retention of surplus hairs on one end portion of a batchof bow hairs, the entrance of said cavity, having at least one ilat wall constituting a hair clamping anvil, said body also having a screw-threaded hole opening at one end into --said cavityand opening at its opposite end through a 'second marginal edge on said body, said hole being at approximate right angles to said anvil, a headless set-screw screwed into and adjustable in said hole, a relatively small clamping block-swivelled on the inner end of said set-screw, operable only in the entrance portion of said cavity,'oppos ed in parallelism to said anvil and of a size corresponding to the size of said anvil, and a second block corresponding to said first-named block, said second block being'of compressible material and functioning as a pad, the latter adapted-,to bear directly against the hair and said firstnamed block respectively.

v2. A bow 'frog comprising a one-,piece aluminumbody having a groove inzone marginal edge portion to accommodate and-,seata-bow Astickinvention, what is having another marginal edge provided with complemental spaced parallel extensions dening an intervening thumb accommodating crotch, having another marginal edge portion provided with groove means for reception of bow hairs, said body being further provided with a cavity which is closed at one end and open at the opposite end, said latter end defining a cavity entrance and being substantially rectangular in cross-section, said entrance communicating with said groove means and one wall thereof constituting a hair binding anvil, the major portion of said cavity being wholly free of obstructions and affording space for the accommodation of surplus hairends, said body also having a screw-threaded hole opening through the remaining marginal edge and also opening at an opposite end into the entrance portion of said cavity, a headless setscrew screwed into and adjustable in said hole, a relatively small square clamping block swivelled on the inner end of said set-screw and confined for operation in the entrance portion of said cavity and in opposed parallelism in respect to said anvil and also of a size corresponding to the size `of the anvil, a second square block of compressible material separate from said firstnamed block and interposed between the latter and said anvil, and a lidding slide forsaid groove means, said slide having a ferrule and said ferrule being removably mounted on a terminal por- 80 tions and having a third edge portion provided with complemental spaced parallel extensions providing an intervening thumb crotch, one of said edge portions and the corresponding extension having a groove and said body having a cavity opening at one end into said groove, one end of the latter being rounded and. the other end being transversely widened and being dovetailed in plan, the extension, at the last-named end of said groove, being reduced and substantially semi-cyclindrical in cross-section and providing a mount for -a correspondingly shaped and proportioned ferrule, and a ierrule removably fitted on said mount, said ferrule being provided with an integral slide keyed in and covering said groove, said slide having a rounded tip iitted against and conforming to the corresponding rounded end of said groove.

ADAM P. LESINSKY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 965,072 Bryant July 19, 1910 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 40,485 Germany Aug. 17, 1887 148,904 Germany Mar. 1, 1904 

